SOLAS stands for Safety of Life at Sea. It is an internationalconvention concerning the safety of merchantships. The first version of the SOLAS Convention was adopted in 1914, the second in 1929, the third in 1948, and the fourth in 1960. The fifth and current version is the 1974 Convention, with amendments being added from time to time to keep the convention up to date.

The main objective of the SOLAS Convention is to specify minimum standards for the construction, equipment and operation of ships, compatible with their safety. The topics covered in the SOLAS Convention are: